John 9
1 Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth,
As Jesus walked along [with us], he saw a man who had been blind from the time he was born.
2 and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
We disciples asked him, “Teacher, was this man blind from when he was born because his parents sinned or because he himself sinned?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.
Jesus replied, “His being blind was not because he or his parents sinned. Instead, [he has been blind] in order that [people can] see the power of God {the power of God can be seen} as a result of [what will now happen] to him.
4 While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
While there is still time, I must do the work that the one who sent me [wants me to do. Just like daytime is followed by] nighttime when people do not work, [at the end of our lives] [MET] [it is too late for us to do what God wants].
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
While I am still [living] in this world, I am the [one who enables people to know about God, like] [MET] [a] light enables the people in [MTY] this world [to see what is in the darkness].”
6 When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes.
After he said that, he spat on the ground. He made [a little bit of] mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
7 Then He told him, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came back seeing.
Then he said to him, “Go and wash in Siloam pool!” (That name means ‘sent;’ [just like they sent the water by a channel into the pool, God sent Jesus]). So the man went and washed [in the pool], and when he went home he was able to see!
8 At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
His neighbors and others who previously had seen him when he was begging said, “He is the man who used to sit here and beg, isn’t he?”
9 Some claimed that he was, but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” But the man kept saying, “I am the one.”
Some said, “[Yes], he is.” Others said, “No, [he is not]. It is [just] a man who looks like him!” But the man himself said, “Yes, I am that man!”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
So they said to him, “How is it that now you can see?”
11 He answered, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and anointed my eyes, and He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and received my sight.”
He replied, “The man whose name is Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam [pool] and wash. So I went there and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is He?” they asked. “I do not know,” he answered.
They said to him, “Where is that man [now]?” He said, “I do not know.”
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
They took to the Pharisees the man who was previously blind.
14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
The day on which Jesus made the mud and enabled the man to see again was a (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest). [The Pharisees considered that healing someone was work, and their rules did not permit people to do any work] ([on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day]).
15 So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. The man answered, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So the Pharisees also asked that man, “How did you become able to see?” He said to them, “The man put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I can see!”
16 Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
So some of the Pharisees said, “Since this man [Jesus] disobeys [our rules about working] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day), he is not from God.” But others said, “If he was a sinner, (he could certainly not do such miracles!/how could he do such miracles?) [RHQ]” So they were divided.
17 So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
So one of them said to the blind man again, “You are the man whom he enabled to see. What do you yourself say about him?” The man said, “[I think] he is a prophet!” [So they told him to go].
18 The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents
The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] still did not believe that the man was blind when he was born, and that he was [now] able to see. So they sent someone to bring the man’s parents.
19 and asked, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he can now see?”
[When they got there], one of [the Jewish leaders] asked them, “Is that man your son? Do you say that he was blind when he was born? [If that is true], how is he now able to see?”
20 His parents answered, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.
His parents replied, “We know that he is our son. We know that he was blind when he was born.
21 But how he can now see or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”
But we do not know how he is able to see now. We also do not know who enabled him to see. Ask our son! He is old enough [to answer questions from authorities like you] He can tell you himself!”
22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] had previously declared that they would prevent anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah from [entering] their synagogues. His parents [knew that, so] they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
23 That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
That is the reason that they said, “He is old enough [to answer questions], so ask him!”
24 So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
So they sent someone to bring back to them the man who had been blind. [When he got there], the [Jewish leaders] said to him, “Knowing that God [is listening] [IDM], tell the truth! We know that the man who healed you is a sinner.”
25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!”
He replied, “I do not know if he is a sinner or not. But one thing I do know is that I was blind, but now I can see!”
26 “What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”
So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he enable you to see?”
27 He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
He replied, “I told you that already, but you did not [RHQ] pay attention! Why do you want to hear me tell you again? (Do you also want to become his disciples?/You talk as though [IRO] you also want to become his disciples [RHQ]).”
28 Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.
Then they insulted him angrily. They said, “You are that man’s disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples!
29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”
We know that God spoke to Moses; but this man, we do not know where he is from or where he [gets any authority] from!”
30 “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.
The man replied, “That is very surprising! You [say that] you do not know where he [gets any authority]. But he enabled me to see!
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
We know that God does not help sinners [who ask God to help them]. Instead, he listens to [and helps] godly people who pray. He listens to people who do what God wants.
No one has ever enabled a man to see who was blind when he was born [like I was]. That has never happened since the world began! (aiōn g165)
33 If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”
So if this man had not come from God, he would not be able to do anything [like that]!”
34 They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
They replied to him, “You (were born [as a result of your parents’] sin [EUP]/bastard)! (Do you think you are qualified to teach us?/You are not qualified to teach us!) [RHQ]” Then they threw him out [of the synagogue].
35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
Jesus heard [people say] that they had thrown that man out. He found the man and said to him, “Do you believe that the one who came down from heaven [is the Messiah]?”
36 “Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
The man answered, “Sir, who is he? [Tell me], in order that I may believe in him.”
37 “You have already seen Him,” Jesus answered. “He is the One speaking with you.”
Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. [In fact, it is I], the one who am speaking to you.”
38 “Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.
The man said, “Lord, I believe that [you are the Messiah]!” Then he [knelt down before] Jesus and worshipped him.
39 Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”
Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge [the people in the world]. The result will be that [those who realize that they do not know God’s truth will perceive it. That is like] [MET] [enabling] those who are blind to see. But the result will also be that people who [falsely think] [IRO] that [they understand God’s truth will never understand it. That is like] [MET] [people] who are blind remaining blind permanently.”
40 Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?”
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard him say that, and said to him, “You are not suggesting that we are [like] blind people, are you?”
41 “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
Jesus said to them, “If you [realized that you did not yet know God’s truth, but you wanted to, then you would be like] blind people [who wanted to see. God would be able to] forgive your sins. But you are now [falsely] claiming that you [know God’s truth, so you are like people who are blind who claim that they] can see. [Because of that, God is not able to] forgive your sins.”
